Originally I wasn't planning on releasing a commercial CD.
My intention was to perform a recital of
beautiful and virtuosic pieces that everyone would enjoy hearing.
I often get asked to perform such (and similar)
recitals in different states of the US.
While I live and often perform in New York City,
it had been a while since I last performed one like this here.
I have been asked by many friends / music lovers about it
though, so...it finally happened.

I picked ten works that would put a smile on
many faces in my audience.
Massenet's Thais Meditation
was an eleventh piece, which was intended for, and played
as an encore. I am Polish, so in addition to the beloved
Kreisler, Saint- Saens and Sarasate,
among others, I also included some known
Polish composers such as Wieniawski and Chopin
(transcriptions of the latter's piano works).

The recital was recorded professionally.
I also had someone take a video recording,
which can now be watched online.
The sound engineer, who recorded my concert, is
Joe Patrych, a "no stranger" to me.
I have made multiple recordings in his Recording Studio
in the Bronx. These include the
"Polish Violin Music" (released in 2013 on Naxos),
and the upcoming release of Paganini's' 24 Caprices, Op. 1.

Slightly unexpectedly,
the DiMenna Center turned into a fine recording place.
The microphones Joe used picked basically no noise
other than the music played.
Hence, and with some polishing,
we decided to turn the Romantic Violin Recital into a
commercial recording.
It's live and spontaneous....and it is only the
1st volume of a much larger set.

The pieces on the CD (and in the order performed at the concert)
are:

- G. Tartini/F. Kreisler Variations on a theme by Corelli
- F. Chopin/ Arr. Antoni Cofalik Nocturne in C sharp Minor
- Chopin/ Arr. Antoni Cofalik Mazurka in A Minor
- J. Brahms Hungarian Dance no. 1
- B. Bartok Roumanian Dances
- P. de Sarasate Zigeunerweisen
- E. Ysaye Sonata No. 3 in D Minor Ballade
- F. Kreisler Liebesleid
- C. Saint- Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
- H. Wieniawski Fantaisie brilliante
- (encore) J. Massenet Meditation
Luckily for all of us, the violin repertoire includes a
large number of popular, flashy, virtuosic and beautiful works.
I play most of the compositions we would consider as standard,
as well as many non-standard, lesser known pieces.
As opposed to my Naxos album of Polish Violin Music , which features lesser known Polish masterworks, the
Romantic Violin Recital
consists of mostly "famous" pieces.
This time around I wanted to give my listeners/music lovers
something familiar and - to some extent -
simple to listen to while still being substantial both
musically and technically.
I wanted a fun and enjoyable program for everyone involved.
When choosing it, I kept a few things in mind:

1. Play beautiful and famous works
2. Play them in an order that will keep everyone interested, curious and entertained.
3. Include a few pieces here and there
that will not necessarily be that well-known,
but will still be enjoyable (that's the "educator" part of me).

I definitely love playing all the works
on the CD and I hope that my listeners will have
a great time listening to my interpretations of this fun music :)